


It's a Blaze Toward a Blurred Future

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 16:44:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20531246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It always plays out like this; Taeyong having had enough of Jaehyun and Jaehyun asking for more, Taeyong helping Jaehyun and Jaehyun helping Taeyong, them ruining each other.





	It's a Blaze Toward a Blurred Future

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from End to Start by NCT 127

Taeyong stands, a hand on the door handle and a hand on the doorframe. Someone he doesn't want to see is here, a regular patient who has a knack for figuring out his timings.

"What are you doing here?"

"Taeyong-"

"Why are you back?" He demands.

"Taeyong-hyung, I'm sorry-"

"Get out, Jaehyun."

"Taeyong-hyung, please." Jaehyun begs. "I'm actually hurt this time."

Taeyong inhales sharply and turns his head so as to not see Jaehyun. He exhales, then nods.

"Okay." He closes the door behind himself. He walks to stand opposite his patient, leaning against a cabinet of pristine drawers. 

"What happened?"

Jaehyun's shirt is off in one fluid motion. Taeyong's eyes trace the black fabric as it's placed, carefully, beside Jaehyun on the cot in the minimal room. First, his eyes catch the red gash on Jaehyun's side. He sees his ribs, then. Taeyong reasons Jaehyun's always been on the skinnier side, but he knows it isn't true.

Letting out a sigh, he slicks on a pair of silicon gloves.

"Let's see the damage." He walks to Jaehyun, unconsciously setting himself between Jaehyun's parted legs.

Jaehyun likes Taeyong's concentrated face. He's seen it through the years, but he supposes his favourite would always be when Taeyong was stuck on a physics question, which would invariably be beyond their syllabus. Now, Taeyong is focused on the red, swollen _thing_ on his flank.

"I think it's infected," Jaehyun omits.

Taeyong hums. "Seems like it."

He runs his fingers along the cut. Jaehyun longs for when those palms used to glide over his skin, indented by constantly holding stationery and carrying books. Those times are gone now, replaced by a much more vicious cycle of getting through the days, one by one. Gently, Taeyong presses his fingers down. Jaehyun winces.

"Definitely infected," He concludes. Taeyong looks up, and finds Jaehyun looking at him.

Neither of them speak. It always plays out like this; Taeyong having had enough of Jaehyun and Jaehyun asking for more, Taeyong helping Jaehyun and Jaehyun helping Taeyong, them ruining each other. Who knows, maybe Taeyong will take him home today.

Jaehyun holds his breath as Taeyong brings a hand to his face. The material feels artificial but so, so familiar. Jaehyun can feel warmth seeping through the glove. It filters over the pair of tiny gashes on his cheekbone.

"Should I get you something for these?" Taeyong whispers.

Jaehyun nods, his breath caught in his throat.

Taeyong steps back and retrieves a kit from one of the cabinets. He places it on the cot and removes a cotton swab and some disinfectant, and gets to work.

He's efficient, as he's always been. Understand the problem, apply disinfectant, solve the problem, clean the wounds. Mechanical actions are repeated until Taeyong's satisfied with the work he's done on Jaehyun's bruised and cut body. And all the while, Jaehyun watches him work, and misses him.

"All done," Taeyong says. He's a second away from a smile, then he sees Jaehyun's face.

Jaehyun's concentrated face, and he knows it well. It was the beginning of a coffension, a relationship, and the end of one. It was before every kiss and every _I love you,_ and Taeyong can't take it. Especially when he realises Jaehyun must have shaved, just for him to see he's still competent.

"I'll just… I'll write you a prescription."

"Okay," Jaehyun replies, weakly.

Taeyong busies himself scribbling something down on a pad of paper. Jaehyun puts his shirt on and hops off the cot. Over his shoulder, Taeyong can feel Jaehyun's presence. He isn't reading his prescription. He's reading Taeyong's neck.

Taeyong rips the sheet from the pad and hands it to Jaehyun.

"You have good handwriting," He comments. "For a doctor."

"No, you're just used to reading my chicken scrawl." Taeyong absentmindedly answers as he's cleaning up. If he realises the weight of his words, he doesn't show it.

"Complex medical shit and… therapy," Jaehyun reads aloud. "Are you allowed to prescribe therapy?"

"That isn't the point," Taeyong huffs. He closes the cabinet with his hip once he's put his kit away. "It's to get the message across."

"I know, I know."

There's silence.

"How did this happen? Or do I not want to know?"

Jaehyun looks at his feet. He gulps before speaking. "Someone broke the rules of the club."

"Weapons?" Taeyong asks, horrified.

"He was… taken care of, don't worry." Jaehyun clears his throat. "But, yeah. That's how it happened."

"How much did your admission slip cost?" Taeyong asks. He's still slightly mortified.

"Don't worry about it. I have cash with me."

"For now."

"Yes, for now, and I'll use it on what I want," Jaehyun says.

Taeyong scrutinizes him. "Can you wait for half an hour?"

"Why?"

"I don't think you'll buy the medicines. Or eat dinner. Just wait for me," he insists.

Jaehyun considers it. Taeyong knows his answer. It's always the same. "Okay."

"Good."

-

After thirty four minutes, Taeyong takes Jaehyun to the pharmacy in the hospital. Jaehyun pays for his medicine. It makes Taeyong happy.

He drags him to a grocery store, then. They buy enough for the both of them, and then some more.

Taeyong takes him home. Home, to his one-bedroom apartment the size of his bedroom back in the house he used to live in. Home, to his plushie collection and his stacks of manga. Home, to where he lives, a place Jaehyun never hesitates to call the same.

He's at home with Taeyong, away from the fight club, away from his father, away from his mother. With Taeyong, he can escape the cycle, just for one night.

He breathes fresh air rather than the cigarette-infested pollution he's used to. He eats a meal and not instant noodles. He sleeps comfortably.

And he smiles. Because Taeyong's always made him smile.

**Author's Note:**

> hello! I hope you liked it! please let me know what you think in the comments!


End file.
